Intersection
by rumbelle
Summary: A collection of one shots about how, one way or another, Cana and Laxus will inevitably come to realize that they are meant to be.
1. MEMORY AVENUE

Disclaimer (from here and onwards): I do not own any of the characters at all. Although that would be pretty cool. Also, there is swearing, so if you are bothered by that, please do not read, unless you want to I guess.

* * *

**ONE: MEMORY AVENUE**

_Looking back, her first taste of alcohol was the start of __**all**__ of this._

Back then, she ached for the courage to tell him-Gildarts-that he was her father. With each passing day, whether he was in the guild or not, she cried a little inside. Back then, she wanted her father. No one else but him. Back then, she just wanted to know that she still had someone who loved her. With her mother dead, who else was there to care for her? To hold her? To sing her to sleep? So she waited patiently each day waiting for him to _come back_, waiting for the **courage** to tell him to come forth, and waiting for the day when she could finally smile brightly, honestly once again.

_One day, when she was thirteen, something changed._

Cana Alberona was never one to act rashly. She made friends rather slowly, her closest friend being Gray. Since she joined the guild, Cana practiced **Card Magic **diligently. She had always been brilliant at cards; card games in general were her forte. However, the first thing she did when she turned thirteen was drink. A completely rash act.

The day she turned thirteen was supposed to be a joyous event, but due to another failed attempt at telling Gildarts the truth, instead of a smile, her lips were pulled into a deep frown. That was the day she was first offered a drink. **By Laxus**.

Laxus was one of the more alert members of the guild. While the others celebrated Cana's birthday by obliviously drinking and throwing benches and tables all over the place, all the while having a jolly good time, Laxus was one of the few who noticed the frown on the pretty, little girl's face. Having never been good with emotions, Laxus did the only reasonable thing he could think of: offer her a drink.

That was the first time she ever drank alcohol. That was also the day she realized that alcohol was her _friend_. The one thing that could make her forget her problems. The one thing that allowed her to feel truly **free **and **happy **for a short while. That was also the first time she was ever completely plastered, having had no experience with booze before. For once in her life, she felt relieved.

"_Cana! Hey, Cana!"_

"_What?"_

"_Here," an eighteen year old Laxus said while shoving a glass of beer in her face. "It'll make you feel better."_

"…_Thanks?"_

"_No problem. Ahem. You know, on a day like this, you shouldn't be moping around. Man up."_

_The smile that had formed earlier, when he had first appeared, quickly turned to a frown. "You're a jerk."_

"_Tch. Thanks. I'm glad we cleared that up."_

... ...

The many times she had issues drove her directly to alcohol to the point where she no longer got plastered easily. Instead, all that was left was that bitter taste of booze sliding down her throat. Instead of forgetting her problems for the night, they ran and reran over and over again in her mind. **She couldn't forget. **So she drank some more. Without meaning to, she became addicted. Her love for alcohol grew as she experimented with different drinks each and every night.

_Then, she failed her first S-Class trial._

"Cana, try your best, okay?" Gildarts had said.

His words had made her happy. It was then that she decided, _I'll tell him when I come back. If I become S-Class. If I can make him proud of me._

But she hadn't made it. She couldn't keep up. And so when she returned, she cried a little inside. She put up a brave front, laughed it off with many of the drunk members of Fairy Tail, and drank some more. Until he came along. The one boy who had become S-Class. The one boy whom she felt envy towards at that very moment. Laxus Dreyar.

She wasn't mad or anything. No. He had issues of his own. Wanting to become better than Master Makarov. That was a big one. So she wasn't mad. Not. At. All.

"_Hey."_

"_What do you want?" Oh, fuck it. She would be lying if she wasn't bothered by it even in the slightest._

"_Uh, well. Just wanted to say: Even though you didn't become S-Class, you were still great. Better luck next time, yeah?"_

"_Yeah, I guess."_

"_See you around."_

That was when she realized that maybe, just maybe, Laxus Dreyar wasn't so bad after all.

_But then, he became obsessed with power. And she fell kinda, sorta in love with Macao Conbolt._

It was another one of her off days. The previous week, thanks to Macao, had been full of depravity from the bittersweet substance called beer. He had suggested that she cut back on her beloved booze a bit since she seemed to be running a never-ending tab. Being the kind-hearted, sweet, and obedient girl (HEY, I CAN BE THOSE THINGS SOMETIMES, DON'T YOU DARE LAUGH IT OFF!) she was, she decided to take his suggestion into consideration. That is, until he found himself a new girlfriend. That was when her tab went off the charts once more. Poor, sweet Mirajane never saw it coming. One minute Cana was sitting on a stool, moping around. The next, she was drinking barrels and barrels of beer. Nonstop. Without taking a single breather, she drank like she had been in the desert without any available water source.

And, guess who happened to show up just in time to see her rehabilitation from beer go down the drain? Laxus fucking Dreyar, of course. Who else, but him?

He sits down next to her, orders a shot of whiskey, and downs it in one go. Both continue on with their drinking in silence for a while, until she speaks.

"Why are you here, Laxus? Shouldn't you be with the Raijinshu? I thought you only hung out with 'powerful' people." Cana spat out, bitterly.

He continues to down drinks as if ignoring her comments. Then, "I just thought, maybe, you needed someone to drink with. You know, like before."

Yeah, she did know. Before he became power hungry, he was her friend. Now, they ignored each other like it never happened. After all, he tended to drink up on the second floor of the guild, and she liked hanging out with the other guys, drinking merrily, happily, without a care in the world.

She missed him, but she'd never admit that to him.

_And then the stupid festival happened, and he started that stupid contest for the guild._

It was times like these that made her pissed off beyond words. A guild was supposed to represent family. She had no family (besides Gildarts who knew nothing of her essentially) and so, when she 'awoke' from being turned to stone by Evergreen and learned of Laxus's stupid "Who's More Powerful?" contest, her fury arose, and, angrily, she set off with Juvia towards the town searching for the Raijinshu and Laxus.

... ...

Juvia fell down, smiling at Cana. She had sacrificed herself instead of falling for stupid Freed's trap. Cana was pissed. More so than ever. She couldn't believe them. Stupid Raijinshu. Stupid Laxus. How could they do this? Making nakama fight against nakama. Who the fuck did they think they were? God. Fucking god, she couldn't deal with this. Not now. Not ever.

Fuck, she hated him. For breaking her heart like this, she hated him.

Never, ever would she forgive that stupid, stupid man.

_And so he was exiled. She never saw him again, except on the occasional mission or two…_

There it was again. That feeling of recognition. She stared ahead. There was that familiar blonde hair and those headphones. Oh god. Was she seeing things again? Could that be it? It couldn't be him right? It just couldn't.

Even as these thoughts ran through her mind, over and over, she didn't budge. She refused to run up and see the truth. Even if it was him, what was there to say? What was there to do? Nothing. She was still mad, still upset. Even though it had been months now, and she's seen him how many times? Two? Three?

_Oh fuck it. _She was getting out of there. As fast as possible. Onto the next mission it was then.

…_Until Tenrou Island._

The next time she saw him was at Tenrou Island. Next to her dad. Being made fun of for being exiled. She had laughed. It had been a while since she last saw him. He hadn't changed much. How long was it now? Probably a year..

She wasn't mad anymore. Still a little hurt, but that would pass. But she couldn't talk to him now. She couldn't even say hi. She still had to talk to her dad. Tell her dad the truth. Then maybe, just maybe, she would be strong enough to go up, say hi, and ki-**Fuck. **She had problems.

_The next time they met, he was reinstated into Fairy Tail. No problem. She was drinking again, and he was sitting with the Raijinshu._

It had been seven years. Seven years of nothing. No memories, nothing. _What a waste of time, _Cana thought to herself whilst downing a glass of beer. Damn, how she missed this stuff. It had been too long. Way too long. She was downing her sixth-Seventh? Eighth? Who knows- glass, just as Laxus managed to detach himself from the Raijinshu, and sit down right next to her.

He wasn't as shy, nice, or even polite as he had been in their past conversations. Although maybe just a little bit?

"So you finally told him huh?"

"Yup."

"Wasn't as bad as you thought it'd be, then?"

"Nope."

"…Cana"

"Sup?"

"Go out with me?"

_The fuck?.. _"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Why go?"

"'Cause you're hot. And we'd make beautiful babies."

"Oh. Then, in that case, no."

"Damn."

"Yup."

_And because The Heavens hated her, she met him again two days later. After a date with a fellow eighteen year old. Not. Strange. At. All._

It had been a while since she last went out with someone. So, for one night, she dressed up nicely, was taken to a fairly new restaurant down the street from her apartment, and had a good time with a good-looking guy. Until she realized that seven years had passed, and even though she was eighteen, _technically _she was twenty-five. So, _technically, _she was out with a younger-way younger-guy. That freaked her out a bit, and after the date, instead of walking her home, her date walked her to the park, where she told him it wasn't going to work out.

"It's not you, it's just. This is just too weird for me."

"Oh, I see."

"Yeah, you see, seven years ago, you were what? Eleven? Seven years ago, I was eighteen. It's just not going to work out. Sorry."

"No, it's okay. There's plenty of fish in the sea, right?"

"Ha, yeah. Sorry about this."

Then, because for once, she had a heart (unlike all of those other times back then, with those other guys), she kissed him on the cheek, got up, and left with no regrets.

She walked off towards the direction of her apartment. Just as she was turning the corner of the street, she saw him, sitting there on the stairs in front of her place. Walking up, somewhat loudly thanks to her shoes, she saw him look up and smile at her.

"Hey, so I heard you had a date, and I was just wondering if I needed to scare someone off. You know, just to piss you off and all that." He said casually.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Don't be such an ass, Laxus." She sat down beside him, pulled her knees towards her chest, and stared straight ahead. "I-It didn't work out."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I realized he was too young. And I was basically being a cradle robber. So I stopped it. Before it could go any further. Didn't want to ruin him for other women, ya know?"

"Sure."

They sat together in silence for a while, her staring off into the distance, him just thinking. Then,

"I know we shouldn't be talking about this. I mean, you are back in the guild after all, but, during your exile…I kept thinking I saw you. On every mission I was on, I felt like you were there. Somewhere. And I know, maybe this sounds ridiculous. And maybe, you might even think I have feelings for you-which I don't, I swear. I'm off older guys for a while. But, I just have to know… Were you there?"

"I don't know. Cana, it's not like I would stalk you just because I had nothing better to do."

"I know. I guess. I dunno. I guess, I just wanted to talk to you back then. 'Cause without you in the guild, it was kind of lonely. Like, not lonely enough so that I couldn't have fun or all of _that_ nonsense. More like, it was just weird without you. Don't-don't think of this in the wrong way."

"Don't worry. I won't."

"Kay."

"…So, ittle Cana-kins missed big bad me, eh?"

"Shut up!"

_And finally, she realized the truth that had been in her face all along. Although, it was mostly thanks to Mirajane._

Fuck. Where the fuck was he when she needed him? She stalked off towards the bar where Mira was bartending. Sitting down on a stool right in front of Mira, she sighed. Big time.

"Hey, Cana. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just felt like chatting with stupid Laxus, but he's gone somewhere."

"Oh? I heard he's off to some far away mission. Apparently it might take a while too. Who knows, maybe he'll meet someone nice and fall in lo-_oo_-ve." Mirajane sighed happily at her last thought, all the while thinking: _Omo, Cana and Laxus? MATCHMAKING IN PROGRESS._

"Hmph."

"Why don't you say good-bye? It'll take at least a good month or two before he comes back."

So, Cana Alberona up and left the Fairy Tail building (not to go after Laxus or any of **that** nonsense), but to get some fresh air. And if she just happened to run into Laxus, well, it's not like it would have been a big deal, right? They were friends after all. But, as she walked through the crowd, she began to think of all those **moments **they had together. And maybe, just maybe, she had feelings for him after all? God only knows how many times she denied it in the past. But then, why should she tell him? If he had feelings for her, he should say something first! But, she could be the bigger person…_Ah, fuck it_.

_She met him again a few months later._

"Hey. You. Asshole. I like you."

"The fuck was that shit of a confession. At least make it a bit more dramatic and all that other shit."

"No way."

"Haha, you're cute. Maybe that's why **I love you, Cana**."

**THE END.**

* * *

(NOT REALLY)

**- - - *extra**

"OH MY GOD. WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? LUCY?"

"EEEK. SORRY CANA. SOO, SOO SORRY."

"WHAT. THE. FUCK. ME. AND. LAXUS? NEVER!"

"ACK. LEVY MADE ME WRITE IT. SHE SAID, YOU GUYS WOULD BE SO CUTE TOGETHER."

"EHHH? Lu-chan, how dare you blame me!"

"Oh? Cana wants me? Well, well, well."

"NO. YOU ASSHOLE. NEVER."

"Don't deny it, babe. The chemistry between us. It's _sparkling_."

"That. Was. The. Cheesiest. Line. Ever."

"OH MY GOD. THEY'RE KISSING. LU-CHAN, THEY'RE K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"Omo, how cute. Where's the camera?"

"Aack. Nooo! Not the camera, Mira!"

"Oooh, look at this photo. How cutee!"

"Delete it!"

"Never. It's going in my photo album."

"Ackk! Do something, Laxus!"

"Why? I think we look hot together, babe."

"…Tch."


	2. WRONG DIRECTION

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters at all. Although that would be pretty cool. Also, there is swearing, so if you are bothered by that, please do not read, unless you want to I guess.

* * *

**TWO: WRONG DIRECTION**

For the first time since she was thirteen, Cana did not feel like drinking at all. Why you ask? Well, _dear-_**one: **she was feeling rather down, more so than usual & **two: **Macao had left her for a _date _with some bimbo. Again. Third time this week. Damn it all! She was through with older men. Nothing but trouble. Seriously. Plus, she had better things to do, bigger fish to fry. It wasn't like she was low on men either-need a date? One would pop up just as she was **talking **to Lucy about it. Hot? Check. Older? Hell no! Young? Check. Rich? Double check. Compatible personality? Well, she would have to come back to that.

Life was just great for Cana. Just great. Or so she would say most of the time. Unfortunately, today just wasn't one of those days.

From her entrance into the Fairy Tail building to the six hours sitting on a stool in front of the bar, today just screamed: **ANOTHER BORING DAY**. Sure, she could have gotten off her butt, move towards the mission board, and gone off on a mission for an absurdly enormous amount of jewels-but where was the fun in that? Loki was no longer around-so going on a mission by herself? Eh, on a better day, she would've shaken it off and just _go _but not today. Today was a bad day. She couldn't help it. She just wasn't feeling it. Maybe it was due to the lack of inebriation, but she wasn't feeling _anything _today. At all.

"Damn, Cana. You look like shit."

She felt like shit, too. Looking up, she saw Laxus glance down at her carelessly. Instead of a reply, Cana just sunk deeper onto her stool, laying her head on top of her arms on the bar counter's surface. Sighing in a depressed manner, she closed her eyes for a bit.

"Are you fucking ignoring me?" The completely masculine, yet annoyed voice asked; the sound of his voice passing from her right ear and out the left.

Too tired to respond, she just nodded. Lifting an arm, she waved it, as if dismissing him. To her annoyance, Laxus sat down next to her instead. Could he not take a hint or something? Maybe he just lacked the brainpower to understand that she wanted to be **left alone**. It must be all that electrical current he conducted-must've fried his brain or something.

"You know, he's gonna come back. That bimbo with him? I bet it'll take a week tops before he moves on to the next girl."

"Who the fuck are you talking about?" Playing the ignorant girl-that was one of Cana's strategies in crushing any _ideas _people might have about her and Macao.

"Come on. Don't play the dumb bitch. You know **exactly **who I'm talking about."

_Damn. _"… So what? Why should I care? Do you think I care or something? Hello, I'm fucking sober. Why the hell do you think I look so depressed for? My beer is fucking gone. Damn it. Where's Mira?"

"You know, Cana. Sometimes, I think you drink just because you're too chicken to do anything _productive _about your problems except wash it all away with some alcohol KNOWING that the effects are just short-term. You've got a problem, dearie." He emphasized the last word in such a patronizing tone that Cana couldn't help but tense up.

**Fuck him. What did he know? **

With that mindset, Cana started to get up and before she knew it, she was out the door and heading towards a new mission in-where was that paper?-Onibus Town.

Inside the Fairy Tail building, Laxus smirked triumphantly. Sometimes, it just took a little prodding to get something going.

* * *

She was alone, as usual. However, there were no feelings of resentment or isolation. Rather, she felt calm and content. After all, she was used to it. Everyone always ended up leaving her after a while. No one ever bothered to stay around long enough to get to know her inside and out. Even her closest friends only knew about three-fourths of her story.

Her father was the first to leave her, didn't even bother to get to know her. Finding him after her mom's death had meant _the world _to her, but when he didn't recognize her…who could blame him? After all, he was someone _great_, and she was just a _nobody_.

Loki left her next. He didn't even bother telling her about the fact that, in all honesty, he was a spirit. A fucking spirit. She thought they were close enough for him to spill the beans. They were a team after all, occasionally collaborating on harder missions, but apparently not. Apparently, she was not important enough to be told that tidbit of information from Loki himself.

Then, Macao went off with some hussy-several to be honest. Actually, thinking about it a little more, he probably left **before **Loki. After all, their friendship became strong around that time, as well as Macao's sudden attraction to younger-but unfortunately not her-and attractive women.

Forget men. Maybe she should have switched teams a long time ago.

* * *

"_Arigato gozaimasu."_

She should have known there was something wrong as soon as she heard those words. After all, she had heard _stories _from Lucy. How could she have fallen for this trap? Damn. Damn. _Damn_.

Onibus Town. Guy with purple hair, a long face, and a mustache. A person who said arigato gozaimasu in every other sentence. Damn it. If it weren't for Laxus messing with her mind earlier, she would have ditched this place as soon as she heard those words. Now she was stuck with this stupid job. So. Much. Work. **Damn**. She KNEW it was too good to be true-an easy job for a ridiculously large amount of jewels. Damn her greed. If only she had more jewels in the bank to cover her large consumption of alcohol.

Maybe, after all of this, she would stop drinking for a while…_yeah right_.

… …

It's been five weeks since Cana first started this job. Every day, from morning 'til night, she has worked hard as a waitress at Gozaimasu Restaurant. With each passing day, she couldn't help but wish a little more that she could just get her reward already. After all, the flier said that she just needed to be a substitute for a sick waitress for one day-**NOT **fucking **FIVE **weeks in the running.

She should've known something was up as soon as she came into the restaurant. After all, no one was in there, and it was 8 in the morning. Most places are open by then for breakfast. Damn it. It was all Laxus's fault.

"Excuse me, waitress. I'm ready to order." A masculine, yet amused voice spoke clearly. _Speak of the devil._

Cana turned towards the voice. Spotting Laxus in the back corner, she rolled her eyes internally.

He was sitting in a relaxed manner, with his arms draped loosely on top of the booth's bench. There was a feeling of arrogance surrounding him, as if everyone around him should pay their respects as well as heed his every command.

For some reason, Cana felt her day getting worse. Walking up to Laxus, she put on a fake smile (one that only the extremely observant could _see _as fake) and said, in her most polite voice, "Can I help you, sir?"

"Oh. Ha. This is where you've been for the past five weeks, Cana? Oh, wow. What a downgrade." He spoke in a booming voice, laughing loudly.

Trying her hardest not to punch him in the face, Cana continued on with her 'polite' speech. "Is there something you need?"

"Well, I guess you could get me a coffee. No cream, no sugar. Just plain black."

_Like your heart? _Cana thought sarcastically. Out loud, "It'll be right out, sir."

Laxus smirked at her, as if he had heard the exact thoughts that were floating inside her mind. Smiling back, as angelically as possible, Cana walked away to place the order. Damn him for getting her stuck with this job.

* * *

For the next couple of weeks, Laxus made an appearance inside the restaurant. Every day, Cana had to deal with him in a polite tone and a fake, bright smile on her face. Every. Single. Day. At 8 in the morning. In the back booth. Damn it, why did the Fates hate her so? She never did anything to them! All she ever did was act as their messenger, giving fortune readings every so often to gain some cash. It's not like she wronged them! Seriously, why her?

… …

But one good thing did come out of the exchange of money between Laxus and Cana. Slowly, Cana was starting to warm up to Laxus. They began to have civil conversations while she took his order. Although she was still slightly suspicious of his reason for being there, she welcomed the chance to say more than just 'How may I help you?' and 'Is that all for you, sir/ma'am?' It was a nice change.

* * *

"What's cookin' good lookin'?"

"Oh my god. Please, never say that again."

"What? I thought that's what all the young people say these days."

"No. Don't even start with that."

"HAHA, Cana. You're a funny girl."

"…What can I get you? Black coffee again?"

"Well, yeah. Gotta keep this body awake ya know? Needa be alert, in case of _anything._"

"Uh huh, sure. I'll be right back."

"HEY, don't you dare walk away from me!"

… …

"Good morning. How may I help you today, sir?"

"Oh, geez. Not this 'sir' shit again. What did I do this time, Cana?"

"Nothing…Laxus. It's just-the owner-he's over there. I can't be seen acting unprofessional now, can I?"

"Then quit already!"

"I need the money, you asshole."

"So, he still hasn't paid you yet, I see."

"DUH. Why the hell do you think I'm sticking around for? The satisfaction of a job well done?"

"Don't sass me, woman."

"Is there a problem here?"

"Nope, not a thing, sir. I was just telling the customer here that he should try something different instead of ordering black coffee all the time. It's good to change every once in a while, wouldn't you say so?"

"Ah, yes. That is right. Again, **arigato gozaimasu**, Cana-san, for all your help."

"No problem…" _WHERE'S MY MONEY? _

… …

"Soo, getting paid anytime soon, Cana?"

"Yeah, today's the day."

"I swear, this is probably the fourth time you've said that this week. I don't know if I should even bother saying good luck anymore."

"Oh fuck you. Today is **really **going to be the day! Look at all the business here. Freaking bastard's been hiring more and more people-which means, in case you cannot comprehend it in that electrocuted head of yours, that I can finally collect my reward and go home."

"Sure. If you say so."

"I do say so! Watch me, **today is the day**. Even if it doesn't work out, I do have all those tips saved up-so I'm all good for a month or two."

"Tips? Since when? I can't believe people actually tip you for your service."

"Ha. Ha. I give _great _service."

"Oh really?"

"Oh god-DON'T THINK THAT WAY, ASSHOLE. _Ahem_, how may I help you today, sir?"

"Uh, black coffee."

"AGAIN? _Ahem_-I mean-Okay, it'll be ready in a minute, **sir**."

* * *

"I told you it was today." Cana spoke smugly as she walked by Laxus's table.

"Huh?" Laxus looked up, abruptly. Grabbing Cana's wrist quickly to prevent her from walking away, he said, rather confused and in disbelief, "He paid you? Already? That was quick."

She smiled sweetly and repeated, "I told you it was today."

"Then I guess we're done here."

"Yep, no more taking orders. No more slaving around for hours on end. No more hearing arigato gozaimasu fifty times or more a day. I'm free at last."

"Good times, huh?"

"Fuck off."

* * *

The next day, Cana returned to the guild. She hung around with the same crowd-talking, drinking, and having fun. On the other hand, there was Laxus with his Raijinshu. As per the norm, they were separated by their different interests-Cana and her drinking, Laxus and his obsession with power. Because of this, their "growing friendship" started to disintegrate. The talks they had back at Onibus Town became less frequent and more of a reminder of the past. Their friendship just couldn't hold on to time as it passed by like lightning.

Everything was going back to normal before her job began. However, Cana couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret. She didn't know what to make of this feeling, though. She had _nothing _to regret about, after all; she had her friend back-Macao had just broken it off with his recent girlfriend. She was having fun again, too. Getting drunk was a far shot, of course, but drinking in general was making her happy again. Seeing all her nakama fail to comprehend their limit made for too many fun nights. But there was something wrong, at least that's what her heart was telling her. Something was not right with this picture. But her mind disagreed with her heart because she had everything she ever wanted right now. She had her nakama and her alcohol, what else was there?

Cana glanced around the guild. Everyone was having fun. Everyone was acting crazy. Everything was normal. What more could she ask for?

As she turned her head towards the exit of the guild, she noticed two people standing a little too close for comfort: Natsu and Lucy. Lucy looked as if she were embarrassed by something while Natsu was being his naïve self-childish and headstrong. He looked as if he were excited about something; he kept waving around a piece of paper while his right arm was wrapped around Lucy's shoulders. Happy flew nearby, as well, his usual facial expression in place. It looked as if they might be headed for another job. Cana smiled as she saw Natsu grab Lucy's hand in his and bolted out the door.

Maybe that's what she was missing: a companion. But, with uncharacteristic obliviousness, Cana shook it off. She didn't _need _anyone. She was an independent woman. She could do whatever she put her mind to. There was no need for anyone to help her.

Thus, the war between her heart and mind was placated by this last thought for a while.

* * *

_Then, she got drunk for the first time in years._

Cana jolted awake. Blinking a couple of times to adjust her eyes to the utter brightness of the room, she plopped back onto the bed. Staring at the ceiling, she noticed something strange. The ceiling was white, plain, and extremely clean. **Her **ceiling had glow-in-the-dark stars scattered all over it. **This was not her room. **

"Fuck." She was screwed. Screwed. Screwed. _Screwed. _What had she done yesterday? Damn it, this was why she knew her limits, which, coincidentally, was limitless. She never got drunk. After so many years of drinking, she had built up a resistance, but where was that resistance now? Damn it, she was totally screwed.

"HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO ME?" She screamed, flinching as a headache came along. Fuck, she forgot about hangovers. Damn. Damn. _Damn_.

As she was beating herself up over this mishap, a chuckle sounded from across the room. Lifting her head up, Cana stared straight at the source: Laxus. Oh thank goodness. Her body sagged over slightly, in relief. Nothing happened. He wouldn't take advantage of her. Thank god.

"What happened yesterday?" She asked, quietly.

He looked at her, bemused and silent. He also looked as if he wasn't going to speak up anytime soon. Then, "You got drunk. Saw you on my way out, splayed out across the bar counter half-asleep. Knew I shouldn't just leave you there, however tempting it was, so I carried you back here. A thanks would be nice."

She glared half-menacingly at him. "Thanks," she said, flatly. "You could've just left me there. It's not like anything bad could happen inside the guild. I would've been fine." She insisted, after a second of silence.

"Well, that's good to know for next time. If there is one." He spoke in such a carefree manner that Cana couldn't help, but hate him a little bit.

"I don't _need _your help." She persisted. "I'm perfectly capable of handling myself. I don't need anyone's help." She frowned at him.

"I never doubted that." He paused a bit. "I mean, who else would stay at a job for over five weeks just for the money?" His voice was laced with sarcasm at this point.

She glared heatedly, "Who's the one who decided to stay around and do nothing except watch me? Why were you there anyways? And this. Wow, you just have perfect timing don't you?"

"Well obviously. I am perfection itself you know." He spoke arrogantly.

She couldn't help it this time. Cana laughed, loudly. Even though it caused her headache to worsen, she continued to chortle happily. "You never cease to amaze me, Laxus."

* * *

A little over a week passed by after Cana's "mishap." They never really mentioned it again after that time. After all, it didn't mean much. It was only a friend helping out a friend. They were friends right? Cana couldn't help but muse over that for a while. She couldn't, for the life of her, figure out _why _he had even bothered to help. She had seen his behavior with other people of the guild; he rarely seemed to show care for them at all-externally anyways. She knew that, deep down, he cared-he just rarely showed it.

She got over it soon enough, though. Soon, Cana became immersed with the Fairy Tail life. She was drinking away again-this time, with more effort aimed at not getting overly buzzed. She was also participating in the random fights Fairy Tail had every day. Soon enough, she was just another nakama again. And just like her guild mates, Cana focused more on the now than the future. She didn't even linger on the past. Although, one particular guy did.

"Hey Cana. Let's go on a mission." Cana turned around, confused. She could've sworn she heard Laxus say that just now, but it couldn't be, right? Looking around, she noticed that Laxus was right next to her, expecting an answer. Thinking about it, she realized that he didn't even ask. He just demanded. She sighed internally; it was just like him to assume people would obey his every wish.

"Nah. Kinda busy drinking." She muttered over a glass of beer.

"I wasn't asking." He spoke, arrogantly.

"…**Of course**. Where?" It was always easier to give up than pursue a fight with Laxus.

"Let's go."

* * *

Soon enough, going on missions with Laxus became a norm for them. After three or four missions-all one after the other-how could it be strange? Their relationship was beginning to become similar to the one back at Onibus Town, too. Their conversations were more relaxed; Cana was less hostile and suspicious. They were becoming friends, again. Well, they were becoming better-closer-friends.

Then, something strange happened.

Laxus and Cana had just come back from another mission. Their guild mates were still somewhat stunned by the fact that they were going on missions _together_. After all, Laxus never really worked well with others-always alone or with the Raijinshu. So when they began to see Cana and Laxus together, their minds began ticking and contemplating and failing to comprehend what the fuck was going on. Macao, himself, seemed to have a hard time adjusting to this new arrangement. He was losing his drinking buddy to some S-Class boy with no manners, damn it!

So, he came up with a solution.

"Cana! Wanna go on a mission with me?" Macao asked, as soon as she plopped herself next to him, a barrel of alcohol at hand.

Cana paused just as she was about take a hearty drink from the barrel. _Fuck_, was the first thought to enter her mind. _I was just about to drink that_, being the second. Stealing a quick glance at Laxus (WHY? WHY DID I JUST LOOK AT HIM?), she noticed that he also glanced at her briefly, a frown etched deeply on his face. _Did he hear what Macao said? _**That **was the only thought running through her mind now. They had made so much progress! Damn, she didn't want to ruin it now. But wait, why was she thinking of **him**? What happened to liking Macao? Wouldn't this be a great opportunity to spend time with him without his flavor-of-the-week girlfriend hanging around?

She opened her mouth to speak. Then, "Sorry, Macao. I've got other plans today."

Stunned at her own response, Cana quickly got up and walked out, rather mechanically, of Fairy Tail's doors without looking back. What was she doing? What was she doing? Oh my god. Something was wrong with her. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out what was going on. Why did she just reject Macao?

Instead of screaming out in frustration or hitting a wall (because, honestly, who hurts themselves due to confusion?), she headed straight home.

* * *

Lying on her bed, staring straight at the stars, Cana allowed her mind to wander.

There was nothing wrong with her. She was still herself. So she took missions with Laxus now, so what? It just meant better rewards, more jewels to use for alcohol and rent. That was no biggie. But the Macao problem, as she dubbed it, was…strange. When did she lose interest in him? Because in all honesty, she **had **lost interest. But when? That was the big question, but what was the answer?

As she pondered this, her mind began to think about other things, unrelated to Macao. She was thinking of Laxus again. But why? He was just a friend, nothing more or less. What was going on, damn it?

_Before she could even land a hit, the monster was down. Looking back, she noticed Laxus standing coolly on the sidelines. He had his hands in his pockets, a bored expression on his face. She raised her eyebrows and said, "I had it under control."_

"_I know. I just wanted to finish it faster."_

"_Jackass."_

"_Hey, look how much time we saved with my help."_

"_Blah. Time, shmime. You said I could kill it this time. By myself!"_

"_Look, you don't have to prove yourself to me or anything. I know you can handle it. I didn't ask you to come along, thinking that you suck, 'cause you don't-everyone knows that. I asked you to come along 'cause…I thought it'd be fun. To talk with someone. While on a mission." He spoke in such an awkward-and so unlike Laxus-manner that she couldn't help but smile. _

"_You suck at these talks."_

"_Thanks. It's not like you're any better."_

"_Better than you!"_

"_Wow. Your childishness astounds me."_

"_Your sarcasm wounds me. NOT!"_

It was then that Cana realized, she liked going on missions with Laxus. She was finally warming up to him.

* * *

A month passed by after that little incident with Macao. Cana still went on missions with Laxus, although less frequently. He never did question her, every once in a while, refusals-although her excuses were a bit preposterous at times. But then her refusals became far more often as he left her alone more and more. He couldn't help but frown after the fifth refusal in a row.

"Let's talk, Cana." He spoke gruffly, pointing towards the door.

She refused to meet his eyes. "I'm busy drinking." She made a show of drinking some alcohol out of her glass. Still, she refused to look up.

"Cana. Now. Stop making up excuses."

"…fine." Lately, she realized how easily she gave into his requests.

Outside, he led them towards the park where, obviously, no one would bother them nor would anyone eavesdrop on their conversation.

"What's going on, Cana? I get that you thought I was just showing off how much better I am than you, but I **told **you, I enjoy your company on missions…"

She looked at him in silence while he spoke. She was beginning to notice the little things about him, such as how the lightning scar on his right eye seemed to make him who he was. He truly was like lightning-strong, powerful, and terrifying. Yet, at the same time, he was so _nice _to her. Why?

"I thought we were friends. Ha. _Friends_-Cana, what the hell is going on?"

She continued to observe Laxus as he talked. She had always known he was a "hot" guy, but never really thought much of it until now. Laxus wasn't the type to have girls swoon over him; his personality was definitely a turn off. But, she knew him better now. He was a _friend_. She realized that his personality wasn't as **bad **as she had previously thought.

"…Cana, I care about you. You know that right? I mean, _maybe _causing you to go on that job wasn't the brightest idea, but hey, you forgot about Macao for a while right…Even though you guys seem to be pretty chummy lately.."

Was he jealous? Laxus **never **displays jealousy. She ruled it out of her mind after that revelation.

"Okay. You know what, this is ridiculous and I might regret this, but-I like you. You're stupid and snarky and the most headstrong girl I know…"

Cana froze. What? What did he just say?

"…and I know, maybe it's hard for you to accept this. After all, you're still hung over Macao, huh? You know, I thought we were making progress. I thought, maybe, you might've been changing your opinion of me.."

Her mind ran overtime. _I don't like Macao, anymore, because… _

They were friends. Nothing more. They couldn't-shouldn't be **more **than just friends. So then, why was she happy? Why did her heart skip a beat at his words?

"…and you're beautiful-I don't mean that physically-wait, that came out wrong. You **are** pretty gorgeous. But yeah, I _adore _you, Cana. Inside and out. And maybe this isn't the right time to say it. But fuck it, you have to know, you mean _the world _to me…"

Oh god, how awkward. Cana couldn't help but laugh internally because, seriously, who would've thought Laxus was capable of saying such things, however awkward he sounds. And she realized that, _I don't like Macao because…_

She kissed him, harsh and insistent. She put her whole heart into this one kiss. Pulling back due to the need for oxygen, she spoke, rather raspy, "I think I like you."

He smiled charmingly. "Finally."

Then, he claimed her lips once more, sealing the deal. She wasn't alone anymore.

_I don't like Macao because there's this guy, who is a bit of an awkward conversationalist, but he means well and he cares and, yeah he's older, but he likes me, too._


	3. LOST

**DISCLAIMER LOCATED ON CH1.**

**AUTHOR NOTE:** Characters are (more than just a bit) OOC. The story takes place in an AU before Laxus went and tried to take over control of the guild.

* * *

**THREE: LOST (1 of 2)**

It was her wedding day, the day every little girl dreams of.

She wore a beautiful, long, white dress-the sleeves just barely hanging off her shoulders, her dress made of chiffon and lace. She looked frail, beautiful, and elegant. She looked like everything she ever dreamed of. With long, curly hair streaming down her back, she stared straight ahead, nervous and happy at the same time. Her father grasped her arm, leading her towards the front and center of the room. Standing there, waiting, was her almost-to-be husband, the groomsmen, bridesmaids, and priest. In other words, her friends and family-Natsu, Gray, Freed, and Bixlow as groomsmen; Lucy, Erza, and Mirajane as bridesmaids; Master Makarov as the priest.

With each step leading towards these people, her nerves began to fade. Her heart pounded, loudly, as she walked. When she finally reached them, she looked to her right, smiling at her father before taking the final step up towards her fiancé.

Who was he anyways? All she saw was a blank face, with spiky blonde hair. Who was he and _why _was she wondering this? Shouldn't she know who she was marrying? This obviously **wasn't **a shotgun wedding by any means. What the hell was going on?

She started to panic. Why couldn't she remember who the groom was? Where was his face? What-she turned towards him one more time and saw Laxus. What the _**fuck**_?

The last thing she remembered before this scene happened was arguing with Laxus. Wasn't he getting married to someone else? What is this? _A dream? _

…_and then, she woke up…_

Cana shot straight up from her bed, eyes wide open. What. the hell. was that?!

Thinking of her "wedding day," she shivered a little. Using her right hand, she ran her fingers through her hair, moving it all towards her right shoulder. There was obviously something very wrong with her. How could she picture Laxus of all people as her husband. Was she crazy? Maybe, just subconsciously, she was.

Cana swung her legs off of her bed. Standing up, she stretched a little, trying to get rid of the kinks and tiredness that might have been left over from her slumber. She rolled her head back and forth, and walked out of her bedroom door towards the bathroom.

Looking at the mirror, she saw her reflection staring straight back at her, as if demanding an explanation. Cana grumbled under her breath, "What? So I dreamt of Laxus as the **groom **in my _wedding_. So what? It means _nothing_." Mirror-Cana looked back at her, unconvinced. Cana frowned, "I'm serious!" And, as if an end was needed in this one-sided conversation, she stepped into the shower, effectively cutting off Mirror-Cana from making another sly expression.

* * *

She was eating breakfast when the mail arrived. Heading towards the door, she walked with a bounce in each step. Her morning had picked up since the bathroom encounter with Mirror-Cana. She was starting to think that today just might be a great day after all.

Opening the door, she bent down to pick up her mail from the floor. She shifted through each envelope until finally landing on an intricately-designed one with the saying "You Are Cordially Invited!" catching her attention.

Cana frowned, thinking, _What the fuck is this?_

She opened the envelope to see: Hello, Cana! We are happy to announce that we (Laxus & Evergreen) are getting married on today. Please RSVP as soon as possible: ( ) Attending or ( ) Not Attending.

Finding the invitation rather amusing, Cana went off into her apartment in search of a pen. After ten minutes of searching, she found one hidden behind a book, one of the few books she owned. She placed a small check next to "Attending" and watched the invitation disappear as if it were either teleporting or being summoned by someone.

There was no way in hell she would be attending that wedding, but who had to know?

Cana laughed, rather bitterly. _What the hell is wrong with me, _she thought, while her mind drifted off back to her dream. After all, that was what they were arguing about yesterday. He was planning to marry Evergreen and wanted her advice on how to propose. Thinking about it though, she thought it was ridiculous how they were having a wedding right after the proposal. What kind of engagement is that?

**Yesterday. **_When Cana sits on a barstool, waving at Mirajane for a refill while Laxus walks up, looking rather nervous. _

"_Hey, Cana. I need some advice." He spoke, rather roughly. _

"_What's up?" She mumbled, still waving her arm wildly in Mirajane's direction. Was she going to refill her cup or not? _

"_See. I made this stupid promise a while ago to Evergreen."_

"_Uh huh. And?"_

"_I told her I'd marry her one day."_

_Cana turned her head towards him, rather fast. She glared at him. "What?"_

"_Yeah. And well, I don't really know what the hell I'm suppose to be doing. How the hell do you propose to a girl who's basically your friend and bodyguard. I mean, I'm sure whatever I say, she'll end up saying yes. She keeps reminding me about the stupid promise anyways."_

_Cana attempted to sip her glass before remembering that it was empty. Her mind was completely blank. "I see.." she mumbled. "Wait. Shouldn't you be __**dating **__first before marriage? That's a big fucking step right there, bub."_

_Laxus rolled his eyes. "Yeah…no. We're not going through that…" He said, sounding rather nervous. _

"_Don't tell me. You guys are dating in secret aren't you?!" Her voice raised, rather loudly. Luckily though, the guild was already way too loud for anyone to overhear their conversation. _

"_Not so loud. Dammit. Maybe it was stupid to come to you for advice." _

"_Fuck you. If you wanted someone to be sensible and talk about stupid romantic gestures, you should've gone to Mira. Everyone in the fucking guild knows that. Me? If you come to me, all I'm gonna say is: Go up to her and get down on one fucking knee and propose. Like. A. Man."_

* * *

Cana was in the guild now, where everything was as chaotic as usual, although maybe more so. Apparently, the reception was to take place here. She headed towards the bar and sat on a stool, waiting patiently for Mirajane to come over and hand her some alcohol. She needed it if she was going to survive the rest of today.

Mirajane walked over a little while after. Handing Cana her glass of beer, Mira smiled politely and was starting to turn towards another customer when she came to an abrupt stop. She turned back towards Cana and said, "So… the wedding's today huh?"

Cana nodded while nursing her glass. "One of the shortest engagements ever." She murmured to herself.

Mirajane bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. "You know. I think, at one point in time, all of us had a crush on Laxus." She said, kind of at random.

Cana raised an eyebrow, uncertain how this might fit in with their ongoing conversation.

Mirajane went on, "I mean, he's getting married today. It kind of brings back some memories of our childhood, ya know?" She giggled quietly. "I remember how you guys were pretty close back then. You know, if I were to predict who would marry Laxus back then, I'd say you."

Cana looked down at her half-full glass. "We were just friends," she muttered.

"I know…But one day, you stopped hanging out. Why?"

"I-I dunno."

Mirajane smiled, sadly, and turned towards another customer, ending their conversation.

**Thirteen years ago. **_When little six-year old Cana first joined the guild and met eleven-year old Laxus. _

"_Hello. Who might you be?" A short, friendly, old man questioned her as she wandered around Fairy Tail. _

"_I-I'm Cana, mister. I'm looking for my daddy." Cana sputtered. _

_The old man sat up straighter, his eyes widening. "And who might your father be?"_

"_Gildartz." she spoke, softly. _

_The old man's face turned to shock. After a few minutes, he uttered, "Well, he's away at the moment. Probably won't be back for a few months or so. Do you have a place to stay at?" _

_She shook her head. "Mom's dead. She told me to find dad."_

_He stroked his chin as he tried to think of what to do with this little girl. "Well…I guess you could stay up at Fairy Hills for the time being. I'll call and try to set up a room for you, Cana."_

"_Thank you, sir." Cana rejoiced. _

"_Don't be. You're family now." He smiled. "I'm Master Makarov by the way. Come along, let's find someone to show you around." He took her hand and led her towards the crowd, searching for his grandson._

_All the while, Cana smiled to herself. Family…I have family again. _

Present-time Cana smiled, remembering that first day in the guild. It was the first time in months where she felt whole again.

**Eight years ago. **_When eleven-year old Cana and sixteen-year old Laxus began their mischief._

"_Hey! Laxus! Let's go up there!" Cana exclaimed. She pointed towards the second level of Fairy Tail._

_Laxus glanced up and rolled his eyes. "You know you can't, Cana. You're not S-level yet."_

"_But you are! Come on, Laxus. Let's go on a mission together." She whined. _

_He groaned. "No way!"_

"_Oh come on, you baby." She pushed forward. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him towards the stairs despite the fact that he was so much more heavier than her._

"_You suck, Cana. I can't believe we're doing this."_

"_Believe it! You needa lighten up, Laxus. Enjoy life a little. Not everything has to be so serious, mister I'm-all-grown-up-at-sixteen."_

Once upon a time, they were best friends. They used to do so much together. What changed?

Cana downed the last of her beer and walked off towards one of the many closed doors in Fairy Tail. She went towards the library and shifted through a couple of books, until she finally landed on the photo album. Flipping through the book, she glanced carelessly at the pictures before stopping on one taken of her and Laxus hugging with huge smiles on their faces.

Even though it's been years, she remembered that day clearly. It was their first major fight. It was also a week after she had started drinking with the guild's drunks.

**Six years ago. **_When thirteen-year old Cana and eighteen-year old Laxus fought._

"_I think you need to stop drinking your sorrows." A voice behind her spoke gruffly as she downed another glass._

_She hicked. "You know what I think? I think you need to mind your own damn business."_

"_Cana, I'm just worried about you. Ever since that first drink, you've been here all day, every day, drinking. Stop it. It's not good for you."_

"_And what should I be doing? Hrm? Listening to you? What do you know? You're not that much older than me, Laxus." She growled at him, glaring violently. _

_He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm just worried." He repeated._

"_Don't be. I don't need someone worrying about me. I'm a big girl. I can handle my alcohol consumption."_

"_I'm sure you can." He muttered, sarcastically._

"_Fuck you. I'm doing fine on my own, thanks for asking. Mind your own damn business, Laxus. After all, I'm not the one with a father who's expelled from the guild." She whispered harshly._

_He glared at her. "Fine. Just-you know what? Fine." He spat. _

He was one of the few people she could call her friend. Sure he was five years older, but still, they grew up together. They made plenty of childhood memories together. Although…there is one moment she wished she could forget forever. After all, Mirajane is always right.

**Four years ago. **_Where Mirajane gets proven right: Cana did have a crush on Laxus at one point in time._

_It was around the third week after she became aware of her affection towards Laxus. She still hadn't done anything yet. No one likes to get rejected after all. But, Cana decided, today was going to be the day. She would confess and hope for the best. _

_They were meeting by a giant Sakura tree at the park soon. She decided she'd tell him there. As she walked, she thought of how she would tell him. _

"_Do I say…Well, I've just recently discovered that I like you?" She muttered under her breath, "No way. That's too blunt. What about…We've been friends for years now, and well, you know how in movies friends fall in love?…Ew. What the hell did I just say?! Maybe, I should just say…I like you. It's short and simple. People like short and simple right?" _

_By the time she finished talking to herself, she found herself in front of the meeting spot. Laxus was sitting under it, headphones attached to his ears as he flipped through a magazine, unaware of her arrival. _

_She cleared her throat. He looked up and smiled. Getting up, he said, "Hey." She blushed and reprimanded herself for it. _

"_We need to talk." Both of them said at the same time. _

_He looked startled; as did she. _

"_Do you wanna go first?" Laxus asked, timidly. _

"_Uh-No-that's alright. You go ahead." She managed to say._

"_Well. Cana. We've been friends for a while now…" He began. Her heart skipped a beat. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?_

"…_You see. There's this girl." Oh my god, oh my god. _

"…_and I like her a lot. But I don't know if I should actually say anything." SAY IT. TELL ME. _

"…_So I was wondering. If you could maybe give me some advice. We're friends, and I doubt you'd sell me out to the old man. And plus, you're a girl too." _

_Cana deflated. "Sure." She muttered. "I'm happy to help you."_

_He grinned. "Thanks! So, uh, what were you going to say?"_

_She grumbled to herself. "Nothing. It's not that important."_

_His eyebrows moved in concern. "Are you sure?"_

_Oh what the fuck, she thought. "Yeah. It was just. You see. Macao's pretty nice…" She remarked, the thought just barely forming in her mind before leaving her lips. _

"_He's too old for you, Cana." He said, automatically. _

Cana laughed, loudly. Damn, that was a bad day. Why the hell did she say that? It was so random. But then again, everything she did was kind of, sort of questionable. After all, she did end up liking Macao for a while.

She shifted through a nearby box filled with old Christmas decorations and pieces of paper the guild members used to write their Christmas wishes on. She looked at them casually until she spotted one with her name on it. In crazy, chicken-scratch-like handwriting, it said: I hope Cana doesn't have fun on her date today. -L

Cana racked her brain. There was this one memory that stuck, where she was going on a date on Christmas day. It turned out alright, although he definitely wasn't the one.

**Two years ago. **_When Cana dating has Laxus freaking out._

_It was the first time she was going on a date since a month ago. Cana dressed rather warmly seeing as there was snow everywhere. It looked like a great day for a date. _

_Heading out of her apartment, she turned around to lock the door and as she turned around again, she almost knocked into Laxus who had come over to get her for the festivities occurring in the guild. She yelped in surprise at how close his face was to hers._

"_What the hell are you doing?!" She asked, angrily, as she straightened herself up. _

"_Come on! We're late." He spoke, grabbing a hold of her hand._

_She took her hand out of his, roughly. "What? Wait…OH. I'm not going to the guild today. This girl's got a date, and now she's gonna bounce." _

_He blocked her way. "What? Seriously? A date. On Christmas? What the hell! We were suppose to hang out, Cana!"_

_She tried to push past him as she said, "Hey. I can get dates whenever I want. And sorry about hanging out…it's not like, maybe, you should've told me so before hand, so I can look it up on my schedule or something." _

"_Really? You're going on a date. Seriously?"_

"_Yes!" She laughed. "Let me pass, you big oaf. I'm late."_

Cana grinned. That day was pretty fun. Looking back into the box, she spotted some worn out paper. Shifting through those pieces of paper, she noticed a familiar handwriting-her own: I hope Laxus and I remain friends forever.

That was written during her first Christmas with the guild.

But before she could reminisce some more, Mirajane came barging in. She looked at Cana in surprise.

"Oh! You were here all along?" Mira smiled sweetly. "The wedding's about to start soon! Let's go, Cana!"

Cana smiled, but shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Why ever not?" Mira cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"I think. I'm just going to sit here and remember the past for a bit. I doubt Laxus would want me there anyway. We kind of fought yesterday."

The white-haired mage sighed, knowingly. "Oh Cana. It's alright."

"No. No it's not alright. He's getting _married_, Mira. Married. What the hell. I didn't even know he was dating someone. Usually, we tell each other these things. Right? That's what best friends do. But, lo and behold, Laxus just ups and tells me that he needs a way to propose to _Evergreen_, of all people. Whatever the hell is going on, I don't like it, Mira. I don't like it at all."

Mirajane nodded sympathetically. "It is out of the blue…but, if they really love each other, I'm sure they'll have a happy marriage. Hopefully. Anyways, are you sure that's why you're so upset about this marriage thing? Are you sure it's not because of some other reason?" She asked, as if waiting for Cana to confess about something.

"Like what?" Cana asked, confused.

"Oh, I dunno, maybe like…you like him…?"

"What? No. No, no, no, _no_. He's just a friend. There is no way I can see myself having any feelings for him at all. He's like a…_brother _to me. Okay? I just-it just-I don't think they should be getting married. That's all."

Mirajane smiled mysteriously while speaking rather slowly. "Well, maybe, you should come along anyway. Go to the wedding. Show some moral support for your "brother." Check it out for yourself. I mean, I really don't think it's right to butt in or anything, because, really, how wrong can they be for each other?"

Cana's eyes widened. "No, no. No way are you getting me to go to that wedding! I told you, I don't think they're right for each other. I really shouldn't be going there. Besides, what if I say something? It might just upset the whole ceremony."

"Oh, come on Cana! Live a little. Isn't that what you're always saying? There's nothing wrong with going to a wedding. Just, you know, make sure you don't say **anything **about them being wrong for each other. I'm sure even you can manage that." Mirajane smiled sweetly. "It'll be fun!"

And that was how Cana Alberona got roped into attending a wedding that-she couldn't help but think-was going to end badly.

* * *

The best part about weddings is the small gift you usually get from the bride and groom. Usually, it is probably some kind of glass memento to remind you of the wedding. And, even though, this gift is probably mass produced, you can't help but feel special gaining something as pretty as that from a wedding.

The worst part about a wedding? Well, if it's destined to be, nothing will ever go wrong. But, with a guild like Fairy Tail, you never know, do you?

"_If anyone has any objections, speak now or forever hold your peace…Anyone?" _

_A pause occurs for a few seconds before…_

"_You can't. You can't marry her, Laxus. Sorry, but, I do-I have an objection."_


	4. AND FOUND

**DISCLAIMER ON CH1.**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Part 2 to LOST (CH3). The characters are probably OOC (I'm so out of tune with Fairy Tail now, really sorry). There's a bit of swearing. I hope you all enjoy. Please tell me what you think, I'd really like to know.

* * *

**FOUR: AND FOUND (2 of 2)**

Everything was beautiful and elegant and oh so _real_. Flowers were placed right next to the end seats of each row. Down the middle laid the long, white carpet, awaiting the arrival of guests, bridesmaids, groomsmen, groom, and bride to step on as they reach either their seats or the front of the chapel where the priest stood waiting.

Cana Alberona, in her fanciest dress, sat in the middle seat located on the right side. As the ceremony began to commence, she sat in silence as her mind wandered away from the impending wedding. As the priest started to speak about vows and promises to be together forever, Cana sat there feeling numb, as if she were just another person there to witness a wedding. It was nothing _special_, per se. All she could think of was how wrong they were for one another. She felt as if she were an organism from another galaxy witnessing something that was considered sacrilegious. It was foreign and weird.

"_You may now kiss the bride."_

Wait, **what**? Cana thought as she was brought back to Earth. She missed the part where the priest called for any objections. In her mind, she shouted, "BUT, I HAVE AN OBJECTION. This marriage shouldn't be happening! They don't belong _together_! Don't you see? They just don't work. They don't work well together…"

It felt as if she was looking back into the past. Was this happening again? Or maybe, it was just a dream, just like two years ago. As Cana came to this conclusion, her eyes opened from her slumber.

* * *

Two years have passed since that day. Just like in her dream, Cana missed the chance to say her objection out loud. Maybe it was a blessing, considering the fact that she didn't want to object in the first place. After all, no one wants to be that person who ruins such a happy event, especially not Cana. Plus, Cana had nothing to complain about anymore. These past two years have given her life lessons as well as good fortune.

* * *

As Cana roused, her eyes focused on the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck on the ceiling of her bedroom. Her room was different now. It was bigger. No longer did she live in an apartment all by her lonesome self. Instead, she co-owned a house. With two bathrooms, three bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen, her home was basically the ideal family home. The outside of her house was painted white, a white-picket fence marking the outskirts of the land she owned. A little doghouse was parked on the corner of the house; every once in a while, a small black-spotted puppy was seen roaming the front yard.

Cana swung her legs off of her queen-sized bed, all the while remembering the days following Laxus's wedding to Evergreen. After all, that dream served as a reminder of her past mistakes, her stupidity, and the dominoes that fell due to actions she, herself, had set upon.

**One year and nine months ago. **_When Cana gets a wake-up call._

After the wedding, for three months, Cana immersed herself in mission after mission. She kind-of, sort-of had a feeling of guilt for not saying anything at all to stop the wedding. It didn't help that, ten minutes after the reception, Laxus and his Raijinshu went off on a mission, and haven't been heard from since. She regretted not stopping the wedding. At the time, the only solution she could think of to erase-or, more precisely, to supress her guilt was to get away from Fairy Tail.

So she chose missions at random, never looking at the possible danger in the mission, just choosing the highest rewarding flyers. During this period, Cana also stopped drinking. Her workaholic nature started to worry some of her closest friends. After all, a non-alcoholic Cana is not the Cana everyone loved and adored. Plus, she was stealing most of the best rewarding missions, and Natsu and company were not quite happy with that (especially Lucy).

An intervention was called upon. Mirajane, Macao, Lucy, and Gray preceded this intrusion in Cana's life. It happened when…

"_Mira, I'm heading off to another mission," Cana yelled, as she grabbed the closest flyer and started towards the exit. _

_About halfway to the door, a hand grabbed Cana and yanked her towards an unoccupied room. She struggled, but the person was too strong, dragging her into the room and dumping her onto a nearby chair. Cana looked back just as the person was leaving the room. A click marked the sound of the door being locked from the outside. _

_Cana frowned, the darkness in the room confusing her senses. What the fuck? was all she could think of as she sat there, wondering if this was some sort of trick. The light turned on after a second. Blinking in an attempt to adjust to the onslaught of light, Cana noticed that there were people __in the room, specifically: Mirajane, Macao, Lucy, and Gray. A banner hung on top of their heads, reading: "INTERVENTION."_

_Cana laughed, suddenly. "What the fuck is this bullshit you're trying to pull, guys? I've got a mission to head off to."_

_Mirajane sighed, "Oh, Cana-"_

"_This is an intervention." Gray said, stating the obvious. "We think you have a problem…" _

"_You've been going on a lot of missions lately…" Lucy continued._

"_And you've stopped drinking too!" Macao interjected. _

"_We-the whole guild-think something is wrong with you, something you're not telling us." Mirajane added, giving Cana a look suggesting that she had a pretty good idea what that something was. "Maybe you should lay off the missions for a while. You're not acting like yourself anymore. We miss the Cana who used to drink barrels at a time."_

_Cana sat in silence throughout this whole ordeal, her thoughts on Laxus and Evergreen's marriage returning rather rapidly as she stayed still for the first time in months. She contemplated her reasons for even thinking about their union, settling on the fact that Laxus was her best friend for years. Maybe that was enough cause for her mind's replaying of that __**joyous **__event. Sometimes, she hated herself for even thinking about it still. What normal person replayed their best friend's marriage over and over in their head? God, something had to be wrong with her._

_As she came to that conclusion, Cana noticed the silence in the atmosphere. Looking towards her nakama, she noticed that they were waiting for some kind of…reply. So, just to sedate their worry, she said, "I'll think about it."_

Cana was in the bathroom now, looking at herself in the mirror, just like two years ago. Her reflection stared at her, a glint in Mirror-Cana's eyes, challenging Cana to say anything contradicting her dream. "Okay, so I had a dream about his wedding. It's the first one in a year though! It has to mean nothing. Right?" She asked, looking questioningly at her reflection. All she got was a tiny smirk as a reply.

Cana frowned at herself, thinking that she should've known better than to ask Mirror-Cana a question. She used to make the same mistake with Mirajane.

**One year and six months ago. **_When Mira tries to interfere with Cana's life again._

By this time, Cana was back to normal. She was drinking with the guild's local drunks again, happily, healthily, with her whole mind intact while others were slowly losing their inhibition. It was familiar. It was the same as it has always been. She was happy, or at least she appeared to be.

_Cana laughed wholeheartedly as a table flew by. Natsu, Gray, Elfman, and the rest of her nakama had started a fight again. It was funny how familiar this was. It was funny how she was forgetting…no, she couldn't think about it. She shouldn't be thinking about it at all. Cana took another sip of her glass. _

_She sat at her little spot by the bar as a bystander to the fight. It used to be like this in the past. Her sitting at the bar, bearing witness to Gray's stripping tendencies, Natsu accidentally causing explosions, Elfman's rants about manliness, and so on. She used to sit there with Laxus, laughing at the ridiculous situations that were considered normal, daily-life activities in Fairy Tail. Sometimes, when she had drunk a little more than she should, she would even partake in those activities. But, something was missing. Laxus was still gone on that mission. It's been months-6 in fact. _

_Cana waved towards Mirajane, signaling for another mug of beer. _

_Sometimes, Cana regretted drinking so much. After all, her tolerance level was so high that she rarely became inebriated. She missed those days when she could drink and forget about the trouble following in her footsteps. Nowadays, it was so difficult to __**forget **__anything while drinking. _

"_Cana, how've you been?" Mirajane asked as she handed her another mug of beer. _

_Cana mumbled a few words, "Fine. Great." She was distracted and Mira noticed straight away._

_Making light conversation, Mira said, "Well, that's good. I'm glad you're back to normal, Cana! I know it was hard on you after that wedding and with Laxus still on that mission... How long has that been going on, anyways?" The last question was aimed towards herself; it was sort of weird after all, with Laxus being S-Class and a dragon slayer to boot._

_Cana frowned. Why did the subject of Laxus keep coming back to her? She didn't want anything to do with him anymore. …Why didn't she want anything to do with him anymore anyways? Out loud, she said, "Can you please not mention him, Mira? I don't-I'm trying to __**forget**__, you see. I really don't want anything to do with him anymore…"_

"_Why?" The ever-meddling Mirajane asked. _

"_I-I don't know." Cana answered, honestly. "I just…I really don't want to think about him."_

_Mira frowned. "I think I know what's going on. You're upset with him, aren't you? For not telling you about Evergreen and their dating and the marriage proposal. If you are, Cana, it's okay. I'm sure he didn't mean to upset you."_

"_Really. I just don't want to talk about it." Cana said, with finality. She took a long chug from her mug, hoping that, maybe, she would forget this conversation ever happened. She knew it was wishful thinking though. There was no way she'd forget this conversation. _

"_Cana…"_

"_I really don't want to hear this." Cana said. She got up and headed towards the exit, never looking back. _

Present-time Cana was in her room again, looking though her closet. That conversation with Mirajane was what influenced her actions a few months after. She remembered how, after she left, she had made the decision to completely forget Laxus and the wedding. She was going to start over. A new Cana. A new lifestyle. She was completely set on that path. So when Laxus and his Raijinshu finally returned after their extremely long mission, well, let's just say that the Cana he knew was not the one he conversed with that night.

Cana wasn't proud of her actions that day when he finally returned. It was immature and completely unlike the rational adult Cana was. It was one memory she would forget if she could, if only it didn't replay in her mind at unsuspecting times, ruining her day.

**One year and five months ago. **_When Laxus meets new-Cana._

_As per usual, Cana was sitting on a barstool near the bar, sipping another mug of beer. It was her tenth one that night. A tall person with a muscular build loomed over her as she nursed her beer, deep in thought. He coughed, catching her attention. Cana looked over and frowned. _

_Laxus, in all his full glory, was hovering over her, a smirk on his face. "How's it going?" He asked as he sat down on the empty stool next to her. He waved at Mirajane, signaling for a glass of beer._

_Cana mumbled in a sarcastic tone, "Life's all grand." Her end of the conversation was short and concise, mostly because she didn't __**want **__to talk to him. But life never did turn out exactly as she wished. _

_Thus Laxus, keeping up his end of their little chit-chat, asked, "Aren't you going to ask about me? I mean, it has been months since we last saw each other. As a __**friend**__, shouldn't you have been worried?"_

_Without looking up from her glass, she muttered, "Nope. Didn't think about it. At all."_

_He frowned, "Are you mad at me? 'Cause seriously, I have __**no idea **__what I could've done to deserve this." He paused. "Is this still about the wedding? It's been months now Cana, and really, you don't seem like the-"_

"_I don't care! I don't care about you. Or the stupid wedding. Or your freaking mission. Okay?" Cana interjected. "Just…leave me alone."_

_Laxus looked as if he had more to say, but seeing how frazzled Cana was made him reconsider. As she got up, ready to leave again after another failed conversation that left her uncomfortable and, frankly, tired, Laxus seemed to reach a consensus. "It was just for the mission, Cana. Please don't be mad because of that." He said some more, but she was out of range already, her heart pounding, wondering what he meant by __**that**__. _

Cana was dressed now, heading downstairs towards the kitchen. Oh _god_, she was so embarrassed by that memory. She should have stayed and listened to what he had to say. But her stubbornness and feelings of rejection (she had that feeling a lot, what with her mother's death and being left to take care of herself) kept her from thinking rationally.

If she had listened, she wouldn't have had to go through what happened next. Damn her for being such a _girl_.

**One week after Laxus's return. **_The unavoidable doubt._

_She was in her tiny apartment, doing nothing but thinking. All of her repressed emotions, thoughts, and concerns came rushing at her, unannounced, unloaded, leaving her feeling confused yet free, too. Mostly, she thought about Laxus (because really, who else would she be thinking of?). A little bit of her emotions were aimed towards her loneliness, which hadn't been an issue for a really long time. Some anger was lashed out towards the memory of her father who still had no idea who she was, yet still pranced around the world on missions too dangerous for her to follow. _

_The most prevalent thought in her mind was: Why? Why do I keep thinking about him, that wedding, and if he and Evergreen are happy? _

_She never gave a second thought to what he told her back in the guild. Too preoccupied with thoughts of her own, she didn't see the significance in what he said. All she could think about was herself, and how she didn't __**want **__to think about __**him**__, but how __**impossible **__it was at that moment. _

_As time passed on, little bits of conversations from the past resurfaced: _

"_You know, if I were to predict who would marry Laxus back then, I'd say you…"_

"_Ha! We're just friends."_

… …

"_You're different, Cana. You're not you anymore."_

… …

"_**You're upset with him, aren't you?"**_

_Cana shook her head, trying to erase all these tidbits out of her mind. What was up with her? It was almost as if she was acting like some lovesick fool. But she wasn't. No way. That ship sailed a while ago. It's been so long since she was actually in love with someone that, really, there was just no way she could be. Not again. Not with __**him**__, of all people. No way. Just…no…way. Could she be?_

But she was.

As Cana walked into the kitchen, she smiled. A plate of eggs and bacon with a side glass of orange juice had been placed on the table, the utensils right next to the plate. She couldn't help but think, _oh god, I love him._

**One year ago. **_The truth._

_A couple months had passed since Cana isolated herself from the outside world. With those couple of months, Cana had gained some knowledge about herself. She realized that she had been suppressing her feelings ever since that day, so long ago, when he had told her __**he liked someone else**__. She had been so hurt, and it was just so much easier to ignore these…feelings, the bane of her existence. Maybe she was being childish, but, to be fair, she was a child. _

_After that day though, she reemerged into society, acting as if nothing had changed even though everything had changed. _

_She went back to drinking at Fairy Tail. She was friendly, cordial, and rather pleasant for once. It was weird for everyone inside the guild hall. But the weirdest part had yet to come. Laxus was on the second level, drinking. When Cana emerged again, he was the first to notice. Not one to give up right after a bad experience, he walked over to her, intent on continuing their conversation before her disappearance. _

"_Cana." He said, his voice rather husky. _

"_Hey." She replied. Her demeanor emanated tranquility and a willingness to talk to him even after all the grief he caused her. She wasn't hiding from him anymore. _

"_I need to tell you something." He said. He waited for her to signal him to go on. Sensing her silence as the signal he was looking for, he continued. "I'm not sure you heard me as you were leaving the other day. But, the marriage between me and Evergreen? It was a hoax. It was just for the mission. I can't tell you any of the details, it was a bit ugly. But, we had to make it believable, so I tricked everyone. And I'm sorry if I hurt you. I should've told you, but I couldn't. It wasn't safe for anyone to know. And I know you're mad at me, but really. __**Can **__you be mad after I've told you all of this? We're friends, Cana. I've known you for so long now, it's hard for me to believe that you'd hold a grudge." He laughed sarcastically. "I mean really, remember that fight we had the first time? The one where you insulted me? I didn't hold a grudge then. And it's not like I expect you to do the same. It's just, __**I expect you to do the same**__." _

_At this point, Cana was breaking into a smile. After all, he knew her better than anyone. And if he could forgive her for not thinking before speaking, well, shouldn't she forgive him for lying to her? Shouldn't she let go of her anger towards him for marrying Evergreen of all people? But wait, the marriage was a hoax? Did that mean they weren't really married after all?_

_Her heart pounded, loudly. She laughed. And then she did the most uncharacteristic thing ever. She got up and hugged him. Laxus. The guy she had been in love with for years, although for most of the years, it was suppressed and hidden and stored away until now. She wasn't running away from him anymore. So, she did something else surprising. She kissed him. Who cares if he didn't return her feelings just like before? Who cares if their friendship became weird? She was taking chances now. And that was all there was to it. _

Cana was just about finished with her meal. She brought the dish and glass towards the sink, seeing used dishes and glasses already there. She shook her head. He never did like doing busy work such as washing the dishes. Sometimes she hated that about him, but most of the time, she just couldn't help but think how **male **it made him. He was such a boy like that.

Then she headed towards the yard, carrying with her a dog bowl filled with dog food, all the while remembering one of the happiest moments in her life.

**A week after she kissed Laxus. **_Their first date._

_They were sitting outside of a café on the edge of Magnolia. They hadn't ordered anything; Cana not being hungry and all. They were just there, talking. Although this might constitute as one of the most boring dates ever, to both Cana and Laxus, it was a pretty good day. _

"_So, you liked me back then, but you never told me?" Laxus guffawed. "Dude, why didn't you say anything?!"_

"_First of all, don't call me dude. I'm a girl." Cana stated, annoyed. "Secondly, you told me you liked someone else! What was I suppose to do? Let our friendship become awkward and fade away like a memory? I'd rather remain friends than lose you altogether." It was a bit more sentimental than she was used to. But it was okay. After all, she and Laxus were close enough for her to show her weak side. It's not like he would say anything he's never said before anyways._

_Laxus smirked. "__**Dude, **__I only said I liked someone else 'cause I liked you, idiot. I wasn't gonna just blurt it out like a blubbering fool."_

_Cana smiled. That was probably about the sweetest thing Laxus would ever say. And that was how their first date went on. It wasn't the most romantic date, but it wasn't any different as when they used to hang out together. Maybe that was bad, or maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was true that love after friendship made everything easier. _

Their dating after that day was pretty standard. They went on dates, hung out together at Fairy Tail and in each other's living spaces, and sometimes even went on missions together. As time passed by, they grew closer. Soon enough, they were living together (still are, in fact). And now? Well…

* * *

Cana was outside, putting the dog bowl in front of the puppy's dog house. She kneeled down, staring at the puppy as it ate. He was such a cute dog. Every once in a while, when he roamed the yard, he would run and then flop over. It was adorable.

"Hey Cana. Are you ready to go?" a gruff voice asked, amusement evident in his tone.

"Of course." She said softly, so as not to disturb the puppy's eating. She got up, and walked over to him, her boyfriend (even after a year, it was weird calling him that), the one person she could honestly call her lover.

Laxus stood there, his arms crossed, wearing his usual outfit complete with headsets around his neck. She smiled up at him. "**I love you**," she said.

He grinned and took her hand. "Let's go," he said gruffly.

As they walked off, Cana frowned. "Hey! I told you I love you, _jerk_."

He laughed, loudly. "I know."

"Then?" A pause. "Aren't you going to say the same back?!"

"…_Maybe_."

"Oh, come on! Don't be such an ass, Laxus."

"Babe, you love me **and **my ass." He turned his head and winked at her.

"Hmph." She pouted.

"Oh my _god_. Fine. **I love you, too**, Cana."

"Good."

_They might not be the most conventional couple ever. And maybe they really weren't. But Cana knew that that didn't change anything. She was as in love with him as ever, and she knew he felt the same. That was all there was to it. And all there ever will be. _


End file.
